Erin cried for a few hours. Will wanted to say something, but could find no words to consol her, nor would he ask her to stop her tears. He could only imagine how she felt. She had just lost her father, and on top of that, she just learned her mother had been murdered and her father lied about it, for her own good, but still, he did lie. The weight of the world had just fallen on her shoulders. Why not let her cry it out? The only tears he resisted were his own. He wanted to be strong for her, even if it meant holding her all through the night if he had to.
However, he would not need to, as she soon cried herself into exhaustion. He thought it cruel to make her walk home, as he had no idea where the horses were, and he certainly wasn't going to leave her to look for them, if they were still around. He carefully lifted her, her diminutive size and weight being of no burden to him, and started to walk back to Swan Lake, thankful it was not that far away.
Odette paced around the rumpus room she and Derek waited in for Will's return. She was worried. The sun had set and it was dark out, and Will had still not returned. She looked at the moon, which had sometimes provided comfort for her in times of trouble, but could not see it through the storm clouds boiling in front of it. She shivered.
Derek was quieter about his worries. But he trusted his son, and he trusted there was a good reason for his tardiness.
"Where is he?" Odette finally asked aloud. She was becoming annoyed as well as worried, though Derek suspected the former emerged from the latter. "Will should have been back an hour ago. Why is he still gone?"
"Maybe their trip ran a little longer than he thought it might," Derek suggested. She sighed, knowing that her husband's explanation was certainly possible, but still hoping Will wasn't in any kind of trouble. After all, he was her only son and losing him would be a hell she wasn't sure she could endure. Between him and Derek, she had never felt such love for anyone. Her son and her husband, essentially the same person and oh so close to her heart.
Soon, before she could make the decision to go out and find him herself -- which Derek would have protested, but he knew it wouldn't work -- the door of the great hall could be heard opening, and several people were rushing about outside the rumpus room. Derek and Odette emerged to find out what the commotion was, only to find Will walking briskly by, carrying Erin in his arms. She looked sick and miserable. He looked exhausted and determined.
Odette and Derek immediately followed their son, wanting desperately to know what happened and where Corin was. But when they asked, Will said nothing, he just kept walking. He looked as if he was about to collapse. Still he persevered. Odette would have found it admirable and reminiscent of Derek had she not been so confused by her son's actions.
Finally, they made it to Erin's room where Will lay her down. He backed away a few steps, completely without energy. He was just about to fall to his knees when Derek caught him by the shoulders."What happened?" he demanded, shaking his son slightly to help him regain consciousness. It seemed to work, as Will came back to life a little when he answered.
"We were ambushed. The war isn't over yet. Alaric still lives, and he's still fighting."
"And what about Corin?" Odette asked, fearing the worst. "Where is he?"
Will shut his eyes tight to fight back the bitter tears that were threatening to pour out, threatening to drown him in misery. "Alaric can use the Forbidden Arts. He killed Corin."
Derek sucked in a ragged breath in shock. Just this morning they had been having such a wonderful time, talking like the old friends they were. Everything had been fine then. What happened? It was a trick, that's what happened, Derek thought bitterly. He pushed his anger away for the moment, remembering that there was already one person unconscious and soon to be another, judging by the way Will could hardly stand. He realized what happened. "You carried her all the way back?"
Will looked at him and smiled tiredly. "I couldn't make her walk. She's too weak with grief. She would be a lot worse off. As for me, I think I'm just going to let gravity take over from here. I can't do anything anymore…" with that last word still ringing in the air, Will fell back, and it took both Derek and Odette to catch him, or, more accurately, break his fall, and lay him on the floor. It would take a lot more than just the two of them to move the boy. Man, Derek corrected himself, seeing something in his son that he had never seen before. For a moment, Odette could have sworn it was Derek lying on the floor after sacrificing himself. She could not have felt more proud of her son then at that moment.
A few hours later, Derek and Odette were still awake, as it was only just after sundown when Will and Erin had returned. They were waiting, but for what they did not know. Suddenly, Will appeared in the doorway. He looked better, but was obviously still tired. Derek was just about to say something when Odette started to scold her soon.
"Why are you here? Go back to bed. You still look terrible." Both Will and Derek smiled, hearing Odette's pathetically disguised worry in her voice, which she had tried to hide with anger. Seeing her ruse was not working, Odette dropped the annoyed look and tone, but still looked at her son quizzically.
"I couldn't sleep," Will replied. "I feel like my eyelids are made of lead, but I just can't get any rest."
"Then tell us what happened," Derek said, not satisfied with his son's half formed explanation from earlier that night. Will began to recount everything, down to the very last detail, about what had happened. Derek jerked in his chair at some parts. Odette gasped. They had known Alaric too, and had even dubbed him the Rothbart of Lincolnshire, but they didn't know that the man was still alive. As far as they were concerned, he had been executed already. They couldn't believe Corin had put his family at such a risk. But it was true, and there was no changing the truth.
"Is Erin hurt?" Odette asked, still not completely understanding what had happened to the girl.
"Her heart is," Will replied. "She just lost her father, and then she found out he had covered up her mother's murder. She's really tormented at the moment."
"She pull through," Derek assured him. "She's stronger than her little body appears to be."
Will smiled. He sat down in a chair nearby and leaned his head back. His mind raced with sorrow for Erin. He vowed to avenge her and her father. As soon as he knew she was well, he promised himself a visit to Lincolnshire, where Alaric was undoubtedly living up his victory. Will's hand involuntarily clenched into a tight fist. He swore under his breath, feeling nothing but hatred for Alaric, who had annihilated his father's best friend and broke his love's heart. There he sat, letting his rage consume him, letting it boil within him. He would have gone right then had it not been for Derek and Odette who would put a stop to any such attempt. He settled for planning the final fight.
Just as Will was sliding into sleep, a welcome break from the reality of the day, he heard something disturbing.
The sound of shattering glass.
A girl's scream.
Erin.
His heart skipped a beat. His mind stopped working for a moment.
"Erin!" he called out aloud this time, pain in his heart, for he knew what was happening.
"Why would Erin still be in danger?" Derek asked. "I thought he was going to leave her alone."
Will jumped from the chair, nearly knocking it over in his rush to the door. "I don't know. I thought she would be okay too, for a while, anyway… Unless… No! Damn it all! He's going to tear apart her father's kingdom, and he's bringing her there to make her watch! That filthy conniving bastard!"
"Will!" Odette exclaimed. She was just about to stop him, to get him to think before rushing off without consideration, but she stopped when she saw the furious look in Will's eyes. She had seen it in Derek, and knowing that, recognizing the emotion behind it, she backed down and knew her son would ether fight and save Erin or die trying. He truly was just like his father.
With Derek and Odette following, or at least trying to, he dashed down the hall like a mad man in the direction of Erin's room. He threw the door open and ran inside, seeing nothing but a broken window and something flying, its black silhouette difficult to see against the dark sky and through the pouring rain.
"Erin!" he yelled again, misery audible in his voice. Derek knew what was happening. Will was regretting leaving Erin alone. He blamed himself. Derek knew that, but he also knew Will was going to set things right. He was going after them, and there would be no stopping him. He had wished a different path for his son's life, but he could not help but be proud of his son's thoughts and actions.
Will, his heart still pumping agony through his blood with every beat, punched the wall with all his force, trying to take his rage out on something tangible, but only hurting his fist more than the cold, hard stone wall. He ran back to his room and grabbed a sword and dagger, fixing the both to his belt with as much speed as he could manage without messing up and having to start over again. He grabbed a cape and threw it on, not caring if it was ajar or not.
Thusly armed, he ran from his room, past Odette, and nearly into Derek, who was waiting for his son. "Good luck, Will," was all he said. Will nodded in acknowledgement and continued his run to the stable. Selecting the first horse in view, he took off, heading to Lincolnshire, heading to Erin and Alaric, who would be no doubt waiting to kill him.
He pushed the thought away as he drove the horse to its limit, praying he would arrive in time, praying Erin would hold on and wait for him.